Their Thief: Redemption

Chapter 13 (Part 3)

My fingers curled into a fist against my chest when I noticed I had risen a hand to rub at the ache that resulted.

I had been watching him. He had gone out of his way to avoid looking at me, keeping his eyes on the other woman.

Probably his fiancé.

A prickling pain started at the back of my throat. I tried to clear it while pulling my eyes from the shut door that I couldn't help but hope would open again to my detriment.

Seeing Luca again was different than when I saw Alec or Jace again after the two years apart. With them, any feelings that would have made me pause and question my sanity were easily washed away by the vivid and painful memories they had personally created. They had made sure I would never forget what they were capable of.

But Luca?

He gave me memories of warmth and comfort. Safety, even if I hadn't recognized it for what it was back then. When he made my heart skip a beat, the memories of seeing him standing in the back with a tortured expression that matched the torture I had been experiencing were overshadowed by the sweet memory of warm chocolate.

While the sight of Jace having women lap at him with their tounges was bad, it couldn't compare to what the chaste touch that Luca had on the woman did to me.

My clenched fist ground down hard against my chest, bunching up the fabric while marking the skin beneath red from the friction. It did little to ease the sinking feeling of loss that was forming. I preferred the anger Jace provoked over the sinking defeat that Luca's avoiding gaze had formed.

He had moved on...

Just like Jace had told me.

"Aris?"

The hesitant voice reminded me where I stood. Blinking past the unexpected devastation I was experiencing, I broke free from Alec's hold, turning to face his scrutiny.

It didn't matter, I tried to tell myself. He was never mine. I never wanted them-

The thoughts attempting to convince me otherwise came to an abrupt stop when the loss of Alec's touch made the hollow ache in my chest grow to the point where it became difficult to breathe. I had to stifle a gasp as everything his touch drove away hit me at once in its absence. The impact felt like a hard blow to the chest.

Did I... did I want him?

I regretted asking myself the question immediately. The horror of the truth rang out loud throughout my body. Impossible to ignore. I shook my head, trying to take back the thought and to stop my mind from wandering into that territory. But it was too late. The bond Max had been constantly warning me about latched onto it.

The doubt that I had been able to bury under fear and hate was now out in the open. Doubt that Luca was the sole cause for. He and his kindness that Alec hadn't thought I deserved. Now it beat an irregular beat in my chest with each straying thought that went to him.

A loud, sharp whistle sounded outside. It was followed by a muffled shout that a loud bark answered. My eyes flicked to the door looking out into the back. I couldn't see anything in the darkness, but I faintly heard Ash's hurried steps chase after the call through the fallen leaves littering the yard. It didn't take long for the sound of car doors shutting to reach my ears.

"Who was that?" I asked when only silence sounded.

My eyes returned to Alec, watching him deflate as he released a deep sigh that signaled his exhaustion. Dark circles painted the skin beneath his eyes while stumble formed a faint shadow over his jaw. Letting his head drop, he answered my question while unbuttoning the cuffs of his shirt.